Fountain-pen.



H. J. UPTON.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 1918.

Patented July 16, 1918,

I a M burr earns rare rare.

HENRY J. UPTON, OFMEDJFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOUNTAIN-PEN.

' pen, closed;

Fig. 2 shows the pen point, plug, rod, stuffing box and button, assembly Fig. 3 shows the sleeve bn an enlarged scale, in longitudinal section; and

Fig. 4 shows the threads on the inner surface of the sleeve developed.

In pens of the type mentioned, the pen ro er or oint is mounted u on a lug P P a P P P and feed bar at the open end of the fountain, and when the pen point is projected for use the plug fills the open end of the fountain, preventing the passage of ink, except through a groove or aperture in the plug, to the feed bar beneath the pen point. This plug is connected to a rod extending longitudinally within the -fountain,and through a stufiing box at the rear end of the fountain, where it is attached to a means, preferably a sleeve sliding on the rear, outer surface of the fountain, for moving the rod and plug, backand forth, to retract or project the pen point. All this is old and well known.

An inconvenience attending this construction was that owing to slight imperfections in the fit of thev parts, the frictional resistance to direct operation was sometimes considerable and nearly always non-uniform, resulting in sudden movement of the parts and the consequent accidental ejection of a portion of the ink charge. To overcome this difficulty the connecting rod was movably connected to the barrel by means within the barrel so that the movement of the rod might be controlled by the connection to prevent sudden or'irregular movement of the rod.

My improvement is in means for inediately connecting the connecting rod with the barrel, by a male'and female threaded engagement, outside the barrel, thus render- Specification of Letters Patent.

*Applioetion filed April 1, 1918. Serial No. 225,855.

ing available more of the ink capacity of the barrel, without diminution by the mechanical parts necessary to make a connection within the barrel, also, the outside constructron renders it possible to make the mechanism large and strong, and therefore durable and free from breakage, also, the cost of making the parts is less and the assembling and repairing simpler and easier, so that dealers can make repairs without returning the pen to the manufacturer and the assemblingmay bedone by unskilled labor;

The drawings and description disclose my lmprovement in its preferred form. A is the fountain, within which is the connecting rod B, with plug and feed bar, band pen point P. Atthe opposite end from pen P the barrel is closed by a stufiing box S which is preferably a separate part, screwing into the barrel bya threaded boss, 8, and forming, when in fplace, in efiect, an extension .rearwardly o the barrel. Through this stufling box, S, which is of any approved construction, the rod B passes and is fixed in a button D, having screw threads, d, upon its outer surface. The button also is provided with an annulus d". The outer surface of the stuffing box portion of the barrel carries a multiple thread T of small angle to the axis of the barrel, the threaded sur face not being of sufficient length to enable the stuffing box or barrel. such. interior diameter as to pass freely along the outer surface of the barrel. It carries, upon its inner surface, threads of two distinct angles, superimposed .one upon or under the other, that is to say, thesleeve is given a thread cl to correspondwiththe thread 03, and also, and upon the same surface, is threaded at T to correspond with the threads T.

The several parts are assembled as folthe stuffing box S and fixedin the button D.

The pen P and rod B are-then passed-into the rear end of thebarrel or fountain A and the stuffing box S is screwed into the any thread to make a complete turn about i The sleeve E is of fountain by thethreaded bosss. The sleeve E is now passed onto the barrel at the pen point end, until it reaches and engages thread T and is screwed along until sufficient open end is secured to receive the threads (1 on thebut-ton D. The button is now screwed into the sleeve until the end of above is rendered possible by the combination in the sleeve of threads of two different angles upon one surface, operating to two di erent ends, namely, the multiple threads T, T for purposes of propulsion and the single threads 03, d for engaging and securing the sleeve and button together.

It will now be clear that when the sleeve is rotated about its longitudinal axis, which corresponds with the longitudinal axis of the barrel, 'the sleeve-E, button D, rod B and pen P must move longitudinally of the barrel, in consequence of the engagement of sleeve and barrel by means of the threads The preferred form, above described, in

which the stuffing box is made separately from the barrel is much to be preferred, upon practical considerations. In manufacturing and placing the threads, if any imperfection or breakage occurs, the material loss is trifling, while when the threads are placed upon the end of a barrel made in one piece! .the entire piece 'is spoiled. Repairing and replacement is made more easy and more cheap and the working of a short. section like the stuffing box is easier than is the erform the operation. The assembly descrlbed working of a long barrel. However, I do not intend to limit myself to the form in which the stuffing box is made as a separate piece or part.

'The inside of the cap C at its closed end is provided with a conical plug 0 to fit into the ope'njend of the fountain, when the pen is closed, and is provided with screw threads, a, to engage screw threads a, upon'the outer surface of the barrel to secure the cap and plug in place. All this is as is customary rod longitudinally of the barrel by the rotation of the sleeve upon the barrel.

"2. As in claim 1, the-stufiing box separately formed and forming an extension of the barrel and having threads of small angle to the axis of the barrel upon its outer surface, to co-act with corresponding threads upon the interior of the outer sleeve.

3. Asin claim 2, the connecting rod being fast at its rearend to a button carrying a connecting screw thread upon its outer surface to engage with co-acting threads in the interior of the rear end of the sleeve, to connect for simultaneous movement the rod, button and sleeve.

vSigned byme at Boston,'Mass., this 28th day of March, 1918.

HENRY J. UPTON. 

